Advertising exhibit device



Dec. 23, 1958 D. MORTELLITO ADVERTISING Elfl-IIBIT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1957 INVENTOR DOMENICO MORTEL LITO BY 8m ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1958 Filed Jan. 11, 1957 D. MORTELLITO ADVERTISING EXHIBIT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DOMENICO MORTELLITO ATTORNEY 2,865,l24 Patented Dec. as, was

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ADVERTISING EXHIBIT DEVICE Domenico Mortellito, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application January 11, 1957, Serial No. 633,747

7 Claims. (Cl. 40-425) This invention relates to an advertising exhibit device and more particularly .to apparatus for displaying advertising.

There is a great need in the advertising industry for a sturdy, readily assembled, economical, self-supporting exhibiting device in the form of a wall, or an upright frame, on which can be hung, draped or otherwise positioned one or more advertising aids. For example, it is often true that an unenclosed area without walls or partitions of any sort will be assigned as the specific position fora presentation of advertising or related material. It is frequently true that such an area will be within an auditorium, gymnasium or similar edifice where it is not possible or permitted to use the ceiling for support or to deface the floor by adfixing fastenings thereto. It may therefore be desired to erect a temporary enclosure of stable upright members cooperating with cross-beams and/ or panels, curtains, drapes, or other similar shielding or decorative material which may or may not in turn carry material being exhibited. It is frequently desired to erect a sturdy partition, partial partition, unsupported wall, unsupported bulletin or display board or backdrop.

An object of this invention is to provide an advertising exhibit device. Another object is to provide such a device which is self-supporting, sturdy and stable. Yet another object is to provide such a device which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled completely without tools by persons lacking special training in such work. A further object is to provide such a device made from a minimum number of differently constructed elements. A still further object is to provide such a device made from inexpensive reusable light-weight durable parts which do not require much shipping or storage space and do not require special handling or packing. An additional object is to provide such a device capable of indefinite extension by addition of components in cooperating association to form a series which may be linear or otherwise of such devices. Still other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

The device of this invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to this invention, with certain parts shown disassembled and in detail;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of two arrangements of series of devices according to this invention; and

Figs. 3 through 7 are plan views of several pedestals utilizable in the device of this invention.

Referring now to the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Fig. 1, the device comprises two vertical members 1 which are of identical construction and there- 'fore interchangeable. The vertical members are preferably made of hollow light-weight square extruded metal, e. g., aluminum. Cross beams are provided by horizontal members 2 which also are made preferably of light-weight material. Pedestals comprising base plates 3, which are preferably of a plurality of straight sides'but which may be of one or more curved sides,'e. g., the pedestal may be round, and upright elements 4 interfit with the lower portions of the vertical members 1 by insertion of one of the upright elements 4, which are of the same crosssectional configuration as the vertical members but which have exterior dimensions slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of the vertical members to provide a snug rigid non-rotatable connection.

The ends of each horizontal member 2 releasably interfit with the vertical members 1 by insertion of the former into the latter in suitable openings 5 which may be conveniently formed by cutting out rectangular areas from opposite sides of the vertical members. The width of the rectangular areas will correspond to the distance between the inside walls of a vertical member, which distance will be just slightly greater than the distance between the outside front and rear surfaces of the horizontal members to ensure a snug rigid connection. The height of the rectangular areas will similarly be just slightly greater than the distance between the upper and lower outside surfaces of the horizontal members.

Upon insertion of one end of a horizontal member into an opening 5 in a vertical member, a rigid connection is formed which does not permit of any appreciable movement of either memberrwith respect to the other. This connection is releasably held by two spring balls 6, positioned one above the other on the horizontal member near its end, which spring balls snap into and engage holes 7, positioned one above the other in the side of opening 5 in the vertical member. The automatic holding and looking action of the spring balls with the respective holes effects a secure retention of the horizontal member in the vertical member while at the same time adding rigidity tothe joint.

Vertical addition to the structure may be accomplished by the use of upright extenders comprising fiat portion 3 and upright projections 9 whichinterfit with vertical members i. In use, one of the projections 9 is inserted downwards into the upper end of one vertical member, complete passage of the extender into the vertical member beingprevented by fiat portion 8, leaving the other projection extending upwards to support another vertical member in a manner similar to upright elements 4. While the two projections on each extender preferably are aligned as illustrated in Fig. 1, they can of course form any desired angle with each other, in any desired plane, to position an upper vertical member at a slant or even at right angles to the lower vertical member.

While the embodiment of Fig. 1 shows one application of the exhibiting device according to this invention to be as a support for a sign board 10 hung from one of the horizontal members 2 by hooks 11, it will of course be understood that the device is equally suitedfor hereinbefore mentioned uses and equivalents thereof. In addition, it is comprehended that shelves and the like of any desired configuration could be readily secured to one or more horizontal members by the use of suitable clips. Insert panels of flexible display material may be readily positioned on the structure with the aid of suitable grooves, ridges, molding and the like secured as needed to the vertical and/ or horizontal members. Decorative and/or utilitarian lighting effects can be obtained by suitably securing, by e. g., snaps or hooks, light sources on the mem- 1 bers. Vertically extended signs, flags or similar indicia may project upwardly from one or more vertical members.

If it is desired to erect an exhibiting device having only two vertical members 1, two pedestals of the type illustrated in Fig. 5 can be used. If, however, it is desired to erect a plurality or series of units, each having two vertical members 1, as exemplified by Fig. 2, the interconnecting base members, or pedestals, may have two or more upright elements 4, which may be positioned anywhere as deeconomy.

'sis'tance, assembly and disassembly can be accomplished more quickly, more smoothly and with less difficulty than other types ofsnap catches. Reduction in wear thus results in a longer effective life for the device and greater Le'ss preferred snap catches include spring leaf catches, pins, and the like.

It can be seen that an outstanding feature of the exhibit device of this invention is the interchangeability of parts. For example, with opening 5 cut in both of two opposite sides of a vertical member, and with holes 7 cut in both of the other two opposite sides of the vertical member, it is impossibleto insert a vertical member into an opening 5' from the wrong side. Also, with the vertical member square, as is preferred, rather than merely oblong, a greater number of right-angle directional variations are possible in a series-connected device.

The invention claimed is:

1. An advertising exhibit device comprising at least one pair of identical hollow vertical members of uniform rectangular cross-section, at least one horizontal member of uniform rectangular cross-section for insertion at each end into receiving openings in said vertical members, said each end having on at least one side at least one detent for engaging a detent hole in a vertical member, said horizontal member being rigidly connectable at each end to a vertical member by insertion of said end snugly into a receiving opening and interlocking by said detent engaging said detent hole, and at least two base members each comprising a base plate having at least one upright element of uniform rectangular cross-section for insertion snugly into the lower end of one of said hollow vertical members.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 having at one side of each end of said horizontal member two spring loaded ball detents, one above the other.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hollow vertical members and said upright element are of square cross-section.

4. An advertising display device comprising at least two open-ended hollow tubular vertical members of uniform Examples of several I rectangular cross-section and at least one horizontal member of uniform rectangular cross-section, said horizontal member having near each end on at least one side at least one snap catch half, said vertical members being identical and each having at least one portion for releasably engaging and firmly interlocking with a horizontal member, said portion comprising a receiving hole having on at least one side at leastone snap catch half for engaging said afore-mentioned snap catch half, and at least two pedestals each comprising a fiat base plate having at least two rigid upright projecting elements of uniform rectangular crosssection for interfitting by rigid non-rotatable connection with the lower ends of said vertical members.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said upright elements of at least one pedestal are positioned with parallel sides.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said upright elements of at least one pedestal are positioned with nonparallel sides. 7

7. An exhibiting device comprising a plurality of units each comprising two hollow vertical members of uniform rectangular cross-section and at least two horizontal members of uniform rectangular cross-section positioned between said two vertical members and interfitting rigidly therewith by means of snap catches, said units joined together by a plurality of base members each comprising a base plate and at least two upright elements of uniform rectangular cross-section, one of said upright elements of one base member inserted snugly in a rigid non-rotatable connection in the lower end of one vertical member of one of said units and another of said upright members inserted similarly in one vertical member of the next adjacent unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,359,659 Beans Nov. 23, 1920 1,790,798 Davis Feb. 3, 1931 1,815,858 Lifschultz July 21, 1931 2,669,117 Fuhrmann Feb. 16, 1954 2,776,521 Zimmerman Jan. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 103,990 Australia May 18, 1938 

